


Speakostuck

by Mochi (redpandachi)



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Prohibition, Speakeasies, rumrunning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-08-27
Updated: 2012-09-28
Packaged: 2017-11-12 23:33:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/496896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redpandachi/pseuds/Mochi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Felt and The Crew used to be the only players in the rum-running game, until an up-and-comer, well, up and came. His name is Vantas, and he runs a speako called The Burrow deep in a maze of abandoned breeding caverns, accessed by a secret entrance in the back room of a local accountant's office. So far Vantas has managed to stay under the radar of the two big-wigs, but not for long. Are he and his rag tag group of rum-runners and mercenaries (colloquially known as the VanGuard) ready for all-out war against not just the stab-happy, clock-hating Jack Noir and his pals, but also one of the most powerful men in Paradox City and his slew of lackeys, or will one bloody night spell the end for them all?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Act One: Enter, Hero(?)

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired heavily by Lackadaisy Cats and Baccano. Set in a mish-mash of Alternia, Earth, Prospit and Derse (mostly in the Alternia part of the world-thing) during a prohibition enforced by Her Imperious Condescension and the other city officials. Many thanks to the numerous people who have given this a glance, and to my friend Gregg for helping to fine-tune everyone's position. Paradox City, the kind of melting pot of races/species/whatever, comes from the excellent Superhero AU, Herobound.

==> Narrator: Commence long-winded exposition.

In the fading light of the late summer sun, the streets are just beginning their slow switch over from day to night. Humans, Carapacians, and Trolls are milling along. Most of them are just heading from a hard day’s work to the cozy comfort of their domiciles. There are a fair few, though, who are heading somewhere else. Deep in the underbelly of this city, dry on the surface from the Prohibition enforced by Her Imperious Condescension and the other city officials, live the Speakeasies and the bootleggers. There are many small-time bootleggers who brew for their own uses, rotgut and bathtub gin and anything else to do the job. Then there are those who make an effort to brew real beer, or own boats and travel along the rivers from Derse or Prospit, countries where the booze still flows like water. Most of what winds up on the shelves in the main speakos is Dersite liquor. A lot of Prospitian stuff is too fancy and weak to bother stocking -- honey-sweet brandies and flowery wines. Most places keep a bottle or two though, if you ask.  
Until recently, there were only two big players when it came to rum-running and speakos. Those two were the Crew, and the Felt.

The Crew run a little place called the Midnight House. They have connections to some influential people in Derse and manage to get some of the best booze to be found in the city these days. The Felt are the big time. Their speakeasy is the most well-known and well-financed. Rumor has it they’re a favourite of Lord English. They run the Green Room, but despite their finances and their backers, they can never seem to match the Crew for quality. For years it’s just been the Felt and the Crew at each other’s throats, but now there’s a new player - the Vanguard. Not much is known about them, except their leader is called Vantas and they run a place known as The Burrow, deep in the maze of subterranean caverns that run under the city, accessed through a tunnel in the secret back room of a local accountant’s office.

==> Who the heck are you?

What the hell kind of question was that? You’re KARKAT VANTAS, unwitting leader of the VANGUARD, and you’ve just walked into your speakeasy, the BURROW, to find one of your rum runners using your wall to test her latest rifle.

\-- show dialogue --  
KARKAT: SERKIT WHAT IN THE ALMIGHTY FUCKING FUCK ARE YOU DOING?  
VRISKA: What does it look like I’m doing????????  
KARKAT: I WAS HOPING THAT THERE WAS SOME SORT OF BRAIN-BENDING GAS LEAK FROM ONE OF THE OTHER CAVES AND I WASN’T SEEING YOU BLOWING HOLES IN THE WALL OF MY ESTABLISHMENT.  
KARKAT: CLEARLY THAT’S NOT THE CASE.  
KARKAT: AND YOU’D BETTER KNOCK IT THE FUCK OFF RIGHT NOW OR THE NEXT THING THAT GUN WILL BE SHOOTING IS YOUR GODDAMN FACE.  
VRISKA: Holy shit Karkles what crawled up your nook and died???????? >::::C

\-- end dialogue --

==> KARKAT: Have enough of this bullshit.

You have had enough of this bullshit. You leave Serkit and set off into the back room to find the person you came here before business hours to talk to, your accountant and right-hand (though he would run the place better than you and you still don’t understand why he doesn’t), Sollux Captor. He seems to be in a meeting of sorts with one of your main suppliers, a perpetually nervous guy by the name of Nitram. You have no idea why this guy is even involved in illegal activities. He looks like he’s about to have an ulcer if someone so much as pokes him unexpectedly. Nonetheless he’s good at what he does and somehow manages to always have some pretty good giggle juice. You decide to hang back by the door and listen to what Nitram is saying.

\-- show dialogue --  
NITRAM: iT’S KIND OF A RELIEF THAT YOU’RE NOT, yOU KNOW, uHH, aNGRY,  
SOLLUX: iit ii2n’t your fault the crew poached our 2hiipment.  
SOLLUX: ii mean, your job ii2 ju2t two get iit here. next tiime we’ll 2end a couple of our gun2 wiith you.  
SOLLUX: be2iide2, we have enough giin and vodka two la2t u2 for the tiime beiing.  
KARKAT: WHOA WHOA, HANG ON.  
KARKAT: DID I JUST HEAR YOU SAY THE CREW POACHED OUR SHIPMENT?  
KARKAT: THE SHIPMENT THAT WE PAID FOR.  
KARKAT: THE SHIPMENT THAT WE PAID TWO HUNDRED BOONDOLLARS FOR.  
SOLLUX: calm down kk.

 

==> Karkat: Flip the table!

No, no. Sollux is right. Your bar is well stocked, and Miss Peixes is pretty chill -- two hundred boondollars isn’t enough to put a bee in her bonnet. Right now what you should be worrying about is the Crew. This is the first time either the Crew or the Felt has so much as glanced in your direction. If they poached your shipment, then they know something about you. What that is, you can’t be sure - but your supply lines aren’t safe anymore.

==> Karkat: Sit down and ask Nitram to tell you what happened.

\-- show dialogue --  
KARKAT: SO. WHAT EXACTLY WENT DOWN?  
NITRAM: uHH,,, wELL, i WAS AT THE, uM, dOCKS, wAITING FOR THE BOAT,,,

==> Nitram: Tell the story.

You are suddenly Tavros Nitram, and you’re currently engaged in relaying the story of how you lost a β200 shipment to one shady guy with a knife to the troll you smuggle booze for, who scares you just about as much as the knife-wielding psycho did.

It was a regular night down by the little backwoods dock where Miss Peixes’ contacts drop off the booze. You had a simple job -- get the booze in the truck and get it to the Burrow.

However, as you were waiting on the dock, you heard a rustling in the bushes nearby. Turning to look, you saw a black Carapace with one wooden arm and an eyepatch shuffle out. He didn’t seem like much of a threat until you saw the spade on his jacket and the knife in his hand. You didn’t even give him time to snarl menacingly before you were in the truck and gone.

\-- show dialogue --  
KARKAT: SO... THAT’S IT?  
NITRAM: uHH,,, yES?  
KARKAT: OKAY, WELL, HONESTLY, YOU PROBABLY DID THE SMART THING BY GETTING OUT OF THERE THAT FAST.  
NITRAM: wAIT,,, wHAT? i DID?  
KARKAT: WELL, YEAH. IF YOU HADN’T, WE WOULD HAVE BEEN DOWN OUR ONLY GOOD SMUGGLER INSTEAD OF OUT β200 AND A SHIPMENT OF LIQUOR.  
NITRAM: oH, uHH, tHANKS, i GUESS?  
KARKAT: DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT. NEXT TIME WE’LL SEND VRISKA OR JOHN OUT WITH YOU.  
NITRAM: uM, kARKAT? iF YOU DON’T, uHH, mIND MY SAYING SO,,,  
NITRAM: mAYBE YOU SHOULD BE WORRIED?  
\-- end dialogue --

==> Karkat: Take your leave.

You leave the little back room with Nitram’s words heavy on your mind. He might be right. It could be a good idea to be worried. You make some mental notes to beef up security and keep your profile as low as you can. As you re-enter the main area of the Burrow, you notice that your patrons are beginning to arrive. Among them is your patron saint of smuggled liquor, Miss Feferi Peixes. You should probably tell her about the lost shipment, but you decide that can wait as you feel a familiar chill run up your spine. Sure enough, sitting at the bar and staring at the back of your head is Gamzee Makara. He’s fucking creepy, and you aren’t really sure why he insists on hanging around this place because he’d murder half your crew if someone paid him enough (or made him really, really angry). Against your better judgement you decide to walk over and talk to him.

\-- show dialogue --  
GAMZEE: wHaTs HaPpEnInG, mY fInE bOoZe-PeDdLiNg cAT?  
KARKAT: I DON’T THINK I WILL EVER UNDERSTAND WHY YOU TALK THAT WAY.  
GAMZEE: iTs CaLlEd SlAnG, mAn. yOu NeVeR hAd A bEeF wItH iT bEfOrE.  
KARKAT: YEAH, WELL, I’M FINDING YOU ESPECIALLY ANNOYING TONIGHT.  
KARKAT: YOU KNOW YOU CREEP PEOPLE OUT, RIGHT?  
GAMZEE: mAn BrOtHeR, wHaT iS gOiNg On? sOmE bRuNo HaSsLiNg YoU? pUtTiNg ThE sQuEeZe On ThIs FiNe GiN mIlL oF yOuRs?  
KARKAT: NOT PRESENTLY, BUT I WOULDN’T BE SURPRISED IF THEY STARTED TO SOON.  
GAMZEE: wHo Is iT? yOu GoT a StOoL pIgEoN? oR iS iT tHe CoPpErS?  
KARKAT: I ONLY UNDERSTOOD ABOUT HALF OF THAT. LOOK, DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT. AND STOP LEERING AT PEOPLE. YOU’RE BAD FOR BUSINESS.  
GAMZEE: wHaTeVeR yOu SaY bOsS. yOu eVeR nEeD sOmE ExTrA mUsClE, jUsT gEt Me On ThE AmEcHe.  
KARKAT: I AM SO GLAD I’M NOT ACTUALLY YOUR BOSS.  
\-- end dialogue --

That was decidedly off-putting, but you file his offer away for later use. Maybe you could get him to cover Tavros next time there’s a shipment. You would probably have to pay him, though, and if any one did show up to grift you, he’d probably shoot them to a pulp and then you would really have a problem. You guess you can’t put it off any longer. You make your way over to Miss Peixes, who looks stunning as usual. Well, aside from her tagalong. You can’t stand him. His name is Eridan Ampora. He contributes his financial aid sometimes, but never regularly. The popular opinion is that he’s just trying to butter Miss Peixes up, but it definitely doesn’t work the way he’d like it to. He sees you coming, though, and mercifully slogs off to sleaze up another table. Also seated with Miss Peixes is Sollux. Maybe that’s why Ampora looked so sour. Those two never get along.

\-- show dialogue --  
KARKAT: EVENING, MISS PEIXES. THERE’S SOMETHING I NEED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT.  
FEFERI: O)(! )(i Karkat! Sollux was just telling me that I s)(ould talk to you.  
KARKAT: YEAH. SEE, WE GOT GRIFTED ON THE LAST SHIPMENT.  
KARKAT: WELL. GRIFTED MIGHT NOT BE THE RIGHT WORD.  
KARKAT: GRIFTED IMPLIES THAT WE GOT ANYTHING AT ALL.  
FEFERI: W)(at do you mean?  
SOLLUX: he mean2 that we lo2t the la2t 2hiipment.  
FEFERI: W)(AT! How?!?  
KARKAT: NITRAM SAYS IT WAS SPADES.  
FEFERI: O)( my glubbing god, really?! Is Tavros okay?!  
SOLLUX: he’2 fiine. he ran for the hiill2 the 2econd 2liick 2howed up.  
FEFERI: But )(ow did )(e know we were set to get a s)(ipment?  
KARKAT: I HAVE NO FUCKING CLUE. IF I KNEW THAT MY JOB WOULD BE MUCH EASIER.  
KARKAT: I’D JUST GET VRISKA TO SHOOT WHOEVER SNITCHED.  
FEFERI: Do we )(ave enoug)( to keep running?  
SOLLUX: we 2hould be fiine for the tiime beiing.  
FEFERI: GR-EAT! T)(en we )(aven’t lost muc)( at all, )(ave we?  
KARKAT: I GUESS NOT. I’M STILL GOING TO BEEF UP SECURITY AND SEND EGBERT AND HARLEY OUT NEXT TIME THERE’S A PICKUP.  
FEFERI: T)(at’s a really good idea, Karkat! I’ll leave it in your capable )(ands!  
\-- end dialogue --

Now that that’s taken care of, you excuse yourself to go see how business is doing tonight. The band is in full swing. Harley, Egbert and Strider are multi talented like that. They can pump lead and beats, which saves you and Miss Peixes some dough. There’s no singer tonight, though. You don’t find that surprising. Miss Megido has more respectable places to perform, even though the underground is her prefered circuit. You decide to check with your hostess, who is dressed to the nines in an outfit of her own design.

\-- show dialogue --  
KARKAT: HOW’S BUSINESS?  
KANAYA: Well It Seems That We Have A Reasonably Full House This Evening.  
KANAYA: This Is, After All, Probably The Safest Speakeasy In The City. No One Knows Where We Are Unless They Are Told.  
KARKAT: YEAH, ABOUT THAT. WE MIGHT HAVE A RAT.  
KANAYA: Oh? What Would Make You Think That?  
KARKAT: KEEP IT ON THE DOWN LOW, BUT WE LOST A SHIPMENT LAST NIGHT.  
KARKAT: TO THE CREW.  
KANAYA: I See. That Could Pose A Problem, Yes.  
KARKAT: KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN FOR ANY FUNNY BUSINESS OR UNFAMILIAR FACES.  
KANAYA: I Can Do That. I Will Let You Know If Anyone Sticks Out.  
KARKAT: THANKS, KANAYA.  
KARKAT: BY THE WAY, NICE DRESS.  
KANAYA: Thank You.  
\-- end dialogue --

==> Be Tavros.

You are now Tavros Nitram, and you’re on your way out of the Burrow. You don’t really like crowds or loud places, and you’ve had enough stress tonight. You would quite like to go home and spend the rest of the night alone, at home, playing solitaire. You’re stopped on your way to the back door of the place by an old friend.

\-- show dialogue --  
GAMZEE: wHaT’s Up, CaT?  
TAVROS: oHH, uHH, hI GAMZEE.  
TAVROS: yOU UHH, kNOW I’M ALLERGIC TO CATS, rIGHT?  
GAMZEE: i KnOw, mY fAvOuRiTe BoOtLeGgIn’ BrOtHeR. hOw ArE tHiNgS wItH yOu? sMoOtH lIkE eGgS iN cOfFeE?  
TAVROS: tHAT, uHH, dOESN’T SOUND,,, sMOOTH, bUT THINGS ARE GOOD,  
TAVROS: i WAS, uHH, oN MY WAY OUT, tHOUGH,  
GAMZEE: wElL dOn’T lEt Me KeEp YoU. i’M jUsT bUmPiNg GuMs.  
TAVROS: yOU SAY SOME OF THE WEIRDEST THINGS,,,  
GAMZEE: i KnOw, BrOtHeR. yOu HaVe A sWeLl NiGhT. aBySsInIA.  
TAVROS: yOU, uHH, yOU TOO,  
\-- end dialogue --

Well that was nice. You quite like Gamzee, he’s a good guy. A bit weird, and hard to understand, but he doesn’t scare you. Which is kind of weird, you think, because he seems to scare everyone else. You slowly make your way through the caverns until you find the ladder and trap door that lead up to the hatch in the bottom of the garage. You climb up and find someone messing around with the side door.

==> Tavros: Interrogate.

Well, you’re not really sure how to interrogate someone, but you can certainly ask what they’re doing.

\-- show dialogue --  
TAVROS: uHH, eXCUSE ME, wHAT, uMM, wHAT ARE YOU DOING?  
\-- end dialogue --

==> Vriska: Lie.

It seems like someone has decided to use the back door of the Burrow after all. Oh well. You guess you’ll just have to tell them to get lost.

\-- show dialogue --  
VRISKA: Ohhhhhhhh, hey Torredoormat. I’m not doing anything!!!!!!!! Seriously I was just a8out to leave. I have some very important things to look after! I’m a very 8usy woman, you know, lots of irons in the fire.  
TAVROS: oHH, uHH, aRE YOU HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE, uHH, dOOR?  
VRISKA: Really?!?!?!?! You think something as dum8 as a door would hinder me? I’m insulted!!!!!!!!  
VRISKA: 8ut actually this one does seem to 8e stuck. You’ll have to use that one over there!  
TAVROS: uHH, oKAY,,,  
TAVROS: yOU’RE REALLY NOT UP TO SOMETHING?  
VRISKA: No!!!!!!!! Come on Nitram, would I lie to you? ::::/  
TAVROS: uHH,,, pROBABLY?  
VRISKA: Okay that’s fair. 8ut I’m not lying right now! Go home, I’m just going to leave a note for Equius a8out this door.  
TAVROS: uMM,,, oKAY, gOODNIGHT VRISKA,,,  
VRISKA: Adios!!!!!!!!  
VRISKA: (Hahahahahahahaha >::::])  
\-- end dialogue --

Tavros finally leaves and you can get back to what you were doing, which is to say you can get back to sabotaging the side door to the garage. This door is usually locked, and if you do this right, no one will be any the wiser. You finish and leave the garage, dusting your hands off on your coat. A you’re preparing to go home, a tall figure steps out of the shadows, followed by a slightly shorter Carapacian with a blood red diamond patch sewn on his lapel. The taller one you know well, but you’ve never met this particular Carapacian before.

\-- show dialogue --  
ERIDAN: so, did you do it?  
VRISKA: Duh, of course I did.  
ERIDAN: good. wwe’re about to head back.  
VRISKA: Who is this? ::::?  
\-- end dialogue --

He says his name is Droog. You ask if he’s one of the Crew. He says obviously, why the hell else would he have a diamond on his jacket? Also, you just saw him the other day. You say okaaaaaaaay and roll your eye. He mutters something about gouging out the other one. You ignore him. The three of you carry on walking down the alley and get into Eirdan’s motorcar and head out into the city. You arrive at a run down old hole of a building in short order and get out. Droog leads the way up to the door and flashes a playing card when the peephole slides open. the door opens and the three of you are given entrance to the MIDNIGHT HOUSE.

\-- END OF ACT I --


	2. INTERMISSION I, ACT I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack Noir has some visitors.

**DAYS IN THE PAST, BUT NOT MANY...**

[I]==> State name.

Your name is Jack Noir You’re also sometimes known as Spades Slick. You lead a quartet of ne'er do wells called the Crew, and head an illegal rum-running business, several less than kosher casinos, and one speakeasy called the Midnight House. Currently, you and your three associates -- Hearts Boxcars, Diamonds Droog, and Clubs Deuce -- are trying to decide how best to deal with the rich little dandy of a troll and his creepy one-eyed friend who seem to have wandered into your midst like lambs straight to slaughter. He says his name is Ampora, and the other one is Serket. He says he has information that might be of interest to you. You ask him what it is. He spills the beans, tells you that there’s a new player in the gin-joint game. Vantas, he says, runs a little two-bit operation called the Burrow. You’ve never heard of the guy. He says he knows, no one has. But this guy, he’s got some hefty backers. The heiress to the Peixes shipping company, for one. She’s got connections. He says it won’t be long before these newbies are a real thorn in your side.

You sit down and tell the other three to back off. These two have piqued your curiousity. You’ll give them a listen. You can always take them out later. Droog doesn’t like the idea. He mentions that this is a little too convenient. These two just happen to have information on a new opponent, and they want to give it to you? You agree. It does seem a little fishy. You ask why they came to you. The one-eyed chick shrugs and says you were easier to get to than the Felt, but if you’re not interested, well, they can just mosey off and hand this juicy dirt over to someone else. They get up and start to leave. You give Boxcars one of your many Looks and he grabs their shoulders and forces them back down in their seats. You tell them to spill it.

Ampora tells you that this Burrow place is in some abandoned breeding caverns that haven’t been used in centuries. They sprawl all over the underside of the city. The access points are usually barred or have long since caved in, but there just happens to be one right under a local accounting office. Captor and Co. You say know the place. Captor is known to do accounts for less than legitimate businesses under the table. You’ve used his services before. Anonymously, of course. Serket tells you that there’s another entrance, below a garage on 49th street. Run by a burly troll named Zahak. That’s where their shipments come in. She says that’s how she’ll get you in, too. You stop her there. You want to know how they know all this. Serket just shrugs and says she works for Vantas, without even batting an eyelash.

Wait. She works for Vantas? You scowl, your lip curling in a snarl. You ask her why she wants to put an end to the troll she works for. She greets your snarl with a semi-maniacal sneer of her own. He’s annoying, she says, and never lets her do anything fun. She says he doesn’t know how to appreciate a good molotov, or a car bomb, but she knows you do. She has a point, and you turn your attention to Ampora. Same question. He tells you he thinks it’s inevitable. Either you or English and Snowman were bound to find out eventually. Why not hasten to process? He then adds that if you could deal with Captor, it would be much appreciated. You ask why, but he won’t tell you anything.

You say fine. You like a good shootout as much as the next guy. If they hold up their end of the bargain, you’ll make sure no member of the Vanguard makes it out of the Burrow alive. The freaky one-eyed one grins. Ampora looks smug. You begin to wonder just what you have gotten yourself into this time, and how many bullets it’s going to take to get out of.

\-- END OF INTERMISSION I, ACT I --


	3. INTERMISSION I, ACT II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your name is Aradia Megido and you are being held hostage. What will you do?

PRESENT DAY, BUT AFTER ALL THAT STUFF IN THAT CAVE

You are suddenly a young troll lounge singer looking at herself in a mirror. Your name is Aradia Megido. Your patron, Lord English, has asked you to his mansion for dinner. At least, that’s why you thought you had been asked here. There’s been no dinner. You have no idea why you’re here, or what is going on, but you have a feeling that is has to do with you performing in places that aren’t owned by the very man who tricked you into coming here. Your contract is sort of an exclusive deal, but you’ve been playing at other venues, particularly the illegal ones, because they pay more for a respectable dame like you. When you arrived, you were shown to a bedroom where English’s lackey, Doc Scratch (not a real doctor) told you you could get ready. Shortly after he left, you heard the door lock. You are trapped. What will you do?

[I]==> Aradia: Bang on door and demand to be let out.

You already tried that, to no avail. You could probably scream yourself ragged before he let you out, and that would be a bad idea, considering your voice is your only way of making your bacon.

[I]==> Aradia: Fashion a rope out of bed sheets and climb out the window.

Nope. You thought of that, too. The window is too high, and you have only been supplied with one bed sheet. Presumably because the good (phony) doctor thought of this too. He’s probably the reason your under-the-table work got pulled out into the open. That man knows a disturbing amount of stuff about a disturbing number of things. You kind of want to smash his stupid globular white think sphere into a million pieces.

[I]==> Aradia: Threaten suicide if you are not promptly released.

That’s a stupid idea! There’s probably not even anyone outside the door to hear your empty threats, anyways. You decide to stop listening to the strange, urging voice from above and instead sit at the vanity table you’ve been given and try to rationally think of a way out of your current predicament. Then, the door unlocks. One of the Felt toddles in and places a tray of food on a table by the door.

[I]==> Aradia: Quick, now is your chance! Run past him out the door!

You’re sorry, but you’re not listening to the voice any more. Instead, you note the time, thank the Felt member, and then retrieve the food once he leaves. It’s a meager meal, but included with the plate and glass of wine are a fork and a knife. The meal appears to be some sort of human Asian fare, which makes sense, since English seems to be all about that sort of thing, weirdly enough. He even gave you a pair of chopsticks to put your hair up with.

[I]==> Aradia: Eat meal with hair sticks, steal the fork and the knife to use as weapons.

You already said you’re not l-- actually, that isn’t a bad idea. You do as the voice suggested. The knife appears to just be a regular butter knife, and isn’t very sharp, but the fork has nice thin tines and would be good for stabbing. You hide them in the one place no respectable gentleman (which you know the good phony not-really-a-doctor doctor fancies himself to be) would ever look -- the top drawer of the bureau, the drawer usually reserved for lacy unmentionables. Now, with some tools at hand, you start plotting your escape.

\-- END OF INTERMISSION I, ACT II --


End file.
